Randy Smith: Zakai Zeigler Is The Real Deal

He’s been called the heart and soul of his Tennessee basketball team all four years he’s been in Knoxville and there is no doubt he’s the most popular player on the squad. Because of his lack of size he wasn’t recruited heavily at all. Coach Rick Barnes took a chance on the Long Island New York native and that gamble has paid dividends in a big way. During his freshman season Zeigler’s mother lost her home in a fire in Queens and for a while it devastated Zakai….until a Go Fund Me Page on Facebook raised more than $350,000 for his family. The Vol nation had taken him in and accepted him as one of their own.

He’s been a fighter all his life and Coach Rick Barnes said, “To have him everyday do what he does is an incredible blessing that God gave me because I don’t know if I would still be doing it, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t. Because of him I enjoy practice everyday.”

As far as his future in the NBA is concerned, well it’s still up in the air. Scouts say his shooting is sporadic and his size will be a problem. They also say at best Zeigler will be a back-up point guard. He’s heard all those excuses before and he’s paid no attention to any of them. As far as grit and determination is concerned he’s got more than his share. He’s proven the “experts” wrong many times before and he continues to do so each time he puts on that orange jersey. 

The last four years has been one of the most successful periods in Tennessee men’s basketball history and it’s easy to see why. It’s because of Zakai Zeigler….the undersized point guard who won the hearts of Volunteer fans and his head coach from day one. The same young man who has taken the reins of his team and taken them to new heights in college basketball. Zakai Zeigler is a senior and his final season at Tennessee is more than halfway over. Enjoy him while you can.